
ANS
WER.-A summary of the information
given by Daniel, Christ, Paul, and John
(Lessons 6 to 8) provides the following
composite picture by which to identify the
antichrist of Bible prophecy:
A.
It would rise to power during the
decline and fall of the ancient Roman
Empire, eliminating three troublesome com-
petitors in the process, and dominate the
political and religious scene in western
Europe for approximately 1260 years. Su-
pernatural signs in the heavens would her-
ald the close of its long period of suprem-
acy. It would then suffer what appeared to
be a mortal wound, but would recover,
regain its formei power, and flourish briefly
prior to the second advent of Christ. See
also question 8.
B.
This religiopolitical organization would
come into being as the result of a great
apostasy within the Christian church, and
would usurp the prerogatives and authority
of Christ over the church. It would defy
God, and for practical purposes, deify it-
self. Its policy and course of action would
constitute rebellion against the Most High.
It would arrogate to itself the right to
alter, and even abolish, the divine precepts
and sacred observances, and would sub-
stitute its own authority for that of the
Holy Scriptures. It would suppress the
knowledge and practice of the way of
salvation in Christ as set forth in the Bible,
and demand compliance with its own
counterfeit teachings and system of sal-
vation.
C.
This sinister power would impose its
authority over the peoples and nations of
the civilized world, and wage a determined
and ruthless war of extermination against
all who chose to remain loyal to God. The
result would be 'a long era of unprecedented
suffering and hardship for God's people.
The precise fulfillment by the papacy of
every specification marked out by the
inspired writers of the Bible conclusively
identifies it as the power foretold. As
successor to the Roman Empire, the Roman
Church took over its name, its language,
its territory, its capital, its pattern of ad-
ministrative organization, its authority, and
its legal status. Like the fabled phoenix, the
Roman Church rose from the ashes of the
Roman Empire, and the empire lived on,
reincarnate, in the church. It would be
difficult to imagine a more exact correspon-
dence between the specifications of Bible
prophecy and their fulfillment in history.
It should be noted that when Roman
Catholics speak of "the Church," they
refer to the hierarchial organization, and
not to those who profess the Catholic
faith. We here use the term "Church" in the
Roman Catholic sense, of the organization
as an organization, and not of the millions
of Catholics who are entirely sincere in
their beliefs and devoted in their practice
of religion, either collectively or as indi-
viduals. The Spirit of Christ leaves no
room whatever for prejudice or bigotry
of any kind, or in any degree. We come to
a study of this aspect of Bible prophecy
with charity for all and malice toward
none.
6.
How has papal policy toward
God's people down through the cen-
turies fulfilled the predictions of Dan-
iel and John?
ANSWER.—Throughout the history of
Western civilization, the Church of Rome
has distinguished herself by a spirit of
intolerance toward all who dissent from
her authority. It is a simple fact of history
that she has been responsible for the tor-
ture and death of more Christians than
all the pagan powers of earth—not as an
occasional, temperamental outburst, but as
the result of a fixed policy to eradicate
dissent whenever and wherever possible,
by whatever means promised to be most
effective.
7.
To what unscriptural papal dog-
mas did Daniel and John allude?
ANSWER.—The difference between the
teachings of the inspired Bible writers and
those of the Roman Church with respect
to Christ's infinite sacrifice on Calvary, His
continuing priestly ministry in heaven, and
the means by which we become recipients
of divine grace is so profound and far-
reaching as to render the two systems
mutually exclusive.
For example, the Bible teaches that
Christ's sacrifice on Calvary was all-suffi-
cient to atone for sins; according to Cath-
olic theology, that sacrifice must be
repeated thousands of times every day
around the world, in what Catholic theo-
logians call the sacrifice of the mass. The
[
311